New MAGIC Bands are coming to RCCL

Hey All,

Dont see a post on it yet, but I just saw the new magic bands are coming...you will be able to upload a picture online, and it will replace your seapass for purchases and room key...THIS IS AWESOME technology, im kinda excited!!!!

I hope that there is still the option of having sea pass card instead of the RFID bracelet that was announced at the reveal today.

1. I do not like the idea of being tracked throughout the ship because I am wearing an RFID tag.

2. My wife mentioned now if we decide to purchase pictures we have to look and see if an awful bracelet is in the picture.

3. Most important to me is I cannot stand having something around my wrist and will not even wear a watch for an hour. How can I be comfortable for a week if I have to wear a bracelet.

I hope this is only an option and not required...

Thoughts?

Interested to see this discussion. Never heard of this. The day I have to wear a "bracelet" full time on a ship is the day I switch cruise lines.:rolleyes:

I saw the reveal today too. I think it is an option but not 100% sure. I'm not too bothered by it but if we have a nice professional photo taken it would not look nice with a band stuck around our wrists - particularly if it doesn't match the dress I am wearing !

Interested to see this discussion. Never heard of this. The day I have to wear a "bracelet" full time on a ship is the day I switch cruise lines.:rolleyes:

Agreed.

Just posted in the general thoughts thread that this was the only thing that stood out to me in the announcement... and in a bad way. I would hate wearing a wristband all week and it would basically require me to keep a purse at all times just to carry it in. I hope they still use seapass cards, as an option.

According to this article, you can still get a SeaPass card if you prefer.

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/quantum-has-robot-bartenders-blazing-fast-broadband-rfid-for-bag-tracking-and-in-place-of-room-keys.html

Just posted in the general thoughts thread that this was the only thing that stood out to me in the announcement... and in a bad way. I would hate wearing a wristband all week and it would basically require me to keep a purse at all times just to carry it in. I hope they still use seapass cards, as an option.

I got the impression that you could have a wristband or seapass - but I may be wrong.

From what I gather you'll have the option of the band or the sea pass card. Sounds like they're following Disneys footsteps.

It sounds similar to what they're doing now for Disney Resort guests.

Could it be taken off for photos, showers and such? What about swimming?

I guess I wouldn't mind, but I'm used to wearing a Fitbit most of the time. Not having to carry a card around all the time sort of appeals to me.

I wonder if when you order a beverage in the dining room, the waiter will pull a scanning device from a holster and scan your bracelet, like they do when you buy a case of pop at the grocery store. Beep! :)

1. I do not like the idea of being tracked throughout the ship because I am wearing an RFID tag.

 

2. My wife mentioned now if we decide to purchase pictures we have to look and see if an awful bracelet is in the picture.

 

3. Most important to me is I cannot stand having something around my wrist and will not even wear a watch for an hour. How can I be comfortable for a week if I have to wear a bracelet.

 

I hope this is only an option and not required...

 

Thoughts?

1. Why don't you like being tracked via RFID? They can track you via face recognition through the cameras. What's the difference? Isn't the ability to reduce wait times and improve traffic flow, worth a little extra tracking?

2. Or, you could just take the bracelets off before taking pictures. Or, you could edit the pictures.

3. What would prevent you from keeping it in your pocket, just like you did with the SeaPass?

The Seapass will still be available and if you want the wristband it will be available for a "nominal charge"

It is not included. Wonder what this nominal charge will be.

This info was direct from RCI's website.

Could it be taken off for photos, showers and such? What about swimming?

It's waterproof....fine to wear in the shower or swimming.

As I stated in the thread about robot bartenders, maybe they should try designing a website and reservation system that works before moving into all these gimmicks:rolleyes:

Sounds very much like the "Magic Bands" that we were given at Walt Disney World last year. It functioned as our room key, park ticket, Fast Pass + ticket, and could be used to charge purchases to our room account. (Oh, and I'm quite certain that our every move was being tracked.) They were available in a range of colors, and you could even "accessorize" them with little do-dads that you could purchase in the hotel gift shops. At the time they were doing a phased rollout of the bands, when we were there it was limited to WDW hotel guests, but I heard it's been expanded to passholders. It was quite impressive; we never had a single glitch the entire time we were there.

I can see the appeal to a certain demographic. But I agree, wearing a silly plastic bracelet on one's wrist for an entire week would be rather annoying, and they certainly should be optional - after all, the RFID tag in the bracelet is no different than the RFID tag that's embedded in the seapass card.

Why bother with the RFID bracelet? Just implant a chip and be done with it. No need to carry around a card or wear a band.:rolleyes:

Here's what the Disney one looks like:

The more "innovation" that comes out on QoS makes me less and less likely to ever try the class. I hope the don't Quanumfy the fleet like they did after oasis class. At least those were improvements and not gimmicks.

As I stated in the thread about robot bartenders, maybe they should try designing a website and reservation system that works before moving into all these gimmicks:rolleyes:

I agree about 4000%! The website IT is RCCLs Achilles heel.

Maybe I'm in the minority but I have no issue with this. Disney has been doing this for awhile and I think it's so much easier. I would much rather wear a bracelet than have to worry about where my sea pass card is all the time.

The Seapass will still be available and if you want the wristband it will be available for a "nominal charge"

 

It is not included. Wonder what this nominal charge will be.

 

This info was direct from RCI's website.

Thanks Ken. It was not clear from the reveal or the press release that there was an option. As long as I have an option I am happy.

Thanks Ken. It was not clear from the reveal or the press release that there was an option. As long as I have an option I am happy.

I like the option as well. We will probably get them for the kids but we will stick with the cards. Unless the nominal fee is more than nominal.

I think it's probably the way forward !

I like the idea of a wrist band. Now when i go swimming i do not have to wonder where my sea pass card is or is someone going to take it while i am in the pool or did it fall out of my pocket. As far as if we took pictures you can take it off it is not stapled to your wrist. I saw people were worried about tracking with the RFID. Believe me the ship knows where you are through video.

Maybe I'm in the minority but I have no issue with this. Disney has been doing this for awhile and I think it's so much easier. I would much rather wear a bracelet than have to worry about where my sea pass card is all the time.

It really doesn't bother me that much either. I know that Disney recently began using a similar device and as far as having to wear a bracelet for the week, it is nothing any different from what I have experienced at several land-based all- inclusive resorts, (I always knew my vacation was over when they cut the band off my wrist as I headed off to the airport to fly home LOL), and looks similar to the band that was needed at Iceland's Blue Lagoon to access one's locker. If it works on a consistent basis, I may find it preferable to the seapass card that frequently gets demagnetized, or misplaced.

MagicBands started out as optional at Disney. Then they did away with the Key To The World Card altogether. Now you have to have MagicBands. How long will the bands be optional at Royal?